Congratulations to our Spring and Summer 2022 graduates!

The department celebrated spring and summer graduates with a hybrid in-person and Zoom ceremony May 6. Advisers shared information about each graduate, and family and friends were able to attend.

We asked our graduating students about their plans following graduation and the most important thing they learned at CSU. Here are their responses.

Chloe Boehm

“I am staying here to work on my Ph.D.!”

“How important a great support system is and to always remain eager to learn from others.”

Ellie Casas

“I’ll be going to the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA to do a postdoc with Scott Powell (a postdoc here a few years ago). My specific projects are currently TBD, but they will probably be some combination of shallow to deep cumulus convection and/or machine learning.”

“The most important thing I learned at CSU is how important a strong sense of community is for persistence, professional growth, and career satisfaction. I was fortunate to have been offered multiple opportunities due to the strong community at CSU, and I learned the hard way via the pandemic that research is much more satisfying when you can easily share it with others.”

Ali Cole

“I’m joining CPP Wind Engineering Consultants as an atmospheric scientist!”

“The most important thing I learned at CSU is the value of having a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints in any scenario. Everyone approaches situations differently, be it research or otherwise, and having that variety of perspectives is invaluable.”

Jacob Escobedo

“Defense for master’s on May 16, planning on staying at CSU working with Russ Schumacher to pursue my Ph.D.”

“I cannot control the unexpected, but I can control how I respond to it.”

Megan Franke

“My future plans are to finish up my master’s and defend next month! Plans for after graduation are still being decided but leaning towards staying for a Ph.D.”

“The most important thing I learned while being here at CSU is to not be afraid to ask for help! I have heard it all my life, but never really lived it until coming here….also coding :)”

Eric Goldenstern

“I’ll be sticking around at the department for my Ph.D.”

“The most important thing I’ve learned at CSU is that nothing is ever perfect… just good enough for the moment.”

Justin Hudson

“I will be staying at CSU for my Ph.D. and joining Steve Miller’s group to study milky sea events in the Indian Ocean.”

“How to deal with everything changing all at once.”

Nicole June

“I will be continuing into the Ph.D. program in Jeff Pierce’s group.”

“The most important thing I’ve learned so far is the importance of priorities and a support system.”

Emily Lachemayer

“I am taking a break from academia and heading to industry.”

“How to systematically approach and implement concepts that are outside of my comfort zone.”

Lilly Naimie

“I am staying in Jeff Collett’s group here in Atmos to pursue a Ph.D.!”

“I learned how important balance is; to work hard and take the time to go for a bike ride.”

Mike Natoli

“I am now working at NWS Cheyenne.”

“This was a tough one to answer since I’ve learned and grown as a person so much in my time at CSU, but to try to pick one thing, I’d say recognizing the importance of collaboration, sharing of knowledge, and a supportive environment in achieving personal and academic goals.”

Sam O’Donnell

“I’ll be staying on for a Ph.D.! I’ll be working on some tangential topics to my M.S. research.”

“Being here during COVID-19 taught me the importance of social connection (while social distancing), and work-life balance. Also, aerosol particles are awesome!”

Sagar Rathod

“I accepted a Postdoctoral Research Associate position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Public Affairs department.”

“In terms of academics, I appreciate the ‘always look at the big picture’ I learned from Tami and Jeff. In terms of life, I would say my experience with DEI initiatives across the campus is something I will definitely take from here.”

Rick Schulte

“I will be starting a postdoc at CSU working on the CloudSat and INCUS missions.”

“Ask around before tackling a tough problem, because someone else has probably already attempted it and has knowledge to share.”

Photo collage, from left to right, top to bottom row: Chloe Boehm, Lee Brent, Ellie Casas, Ali Cole, Jacob Escobedo, Megan Franke, Eric Goldenstern, Justin Hudson, Nicole June, Emily Lachenmayer, Lilly Naimie, Mike Natoli, Sam O’Donnell, Sagar Rathod and Rick Schulte.

Spring 2022 Graduates

*Recognized at previous events

Summer 2022 Graduates